On East Africa... (Kenya & Tanzania)

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Karibu!!!! Mambo!?!

Besides Brazil, which you all know I love with a passion, there are few places in the world that have grabbed my attention from the minute I stepped off the plane and held it so vigorously as did Kenya and Tanzania over the past 10 days. Coming from the beautiful, yet monotone, windy blown hills and deserts of Jordan to the warm plains and lush tropical forests of Eastern Africa, I felt as if I had been reborn into a new life. As I walked through the airport and was greeted at the immigration counter with a large white toothy smile, not a sneer, I knew something was very different. I was no longer in Jordan, nor was I in the Middle East. I had left that region of the world and entered into sub-Saharan Africa, black Africa!

Whereas Jordanians lean towards group acceptance by dressing in modest unassuming fashion, Kenyans and Tanzanians gain acceptance by making bold colorful clothing statements that garner the admiration of others. Jordanians and East Africans both hold hospitality in high regard, however the East African seemed to shake my hand because he wanted to, not because he was supposed to. And there is no denying that while Jordanians tend to greet you with at best a deadpanned "Kifak?" and maybe a handshake, the Kenyan or Tanzania would wrap their huge hoe-hardened hands around your soft white collar palm and say, "Karibu!" embracing you with their presence if not their arms. I realize that these differences rely on stereotypes and don't reflect favorably on Jordan or the Middle East, but the stark differences between the two cultures were undeniable as a foreigner, and particularly as an American. While Jordan has its unique and charming attributes, there is always the sense that I am a foreigner, someone from outside the tribe, from whom certain spheres of local life are to be kept at arms' length. However, in Kenya and Tanzania it was the exact opposite. Not only did they want me to learn about their culture, they wanted me to play in it with both my hands. They were proud of their culture and instead of guarding it from foreign influence, they invited me to participate in it. There was no shame in making a mistake. In fact, the only thing that seemed shameful was not knowing how to laugh at yourself, because when something did go wrong the worst that could be said always seemed to be "hakuna matata," no worries.

The Obama Factor

I can't remember the last time that I went around a country gladly saying that I was "American!" Of course, I can't go doing this in the Middle East, but in Kenya, the homeland of soon-to-be President Obama's father, I was a small time celebrity. In fact, not only was that the case in Kenya, but it was also the case in Tanzania. In fact, from what I was told all of sub-Saharan Africa is proud of Obama and the United States for electing him to be its next president. Don't misunderstand, after endless years of political corruption in both Kenya and Tanzania people didn't expect Obama to change much in Africa, nor are they sure that he will even help Africa, because after all he is a politician and will need to be re-elected by Americans. But instead they kept repeating the same words over and over, "hope" and "change." Obama gives hope to all Africans that not only is change possible in American, but that it is necessary in American and Africa. One Tanzanian told me that elections were going to be held in a year and a half in Tanzania and he wanted change in Tanzania on the same scale that the Obama signified change for America. I even had one person explain to me that he always believed in the message of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., which he understood to mean that one day black people would have their chance to govern the world, and Barak Obama was the first sign that Dr. King's message was becoming a reality. Simply put, Obama has inspired many people in Africa and if that inspiration leads them to work harder and have renewed hope in themselves, then hopefully their countries and all of Africa will benefit.




Aside from the words, there were other signs of the Obama-factor. Countless times I saw American flags waving side-by-side Tanzanian and Kenyan flags. Taxi drivers and small mini-van shuttle drivers who decorate their rides with lights, colored paint, and winkling metal trinkets had renamed their vehicles with adhesive letters across their rear windshield to "The Obama Rocket," "In Obama We Trust," and "Obama Machine." From chain restaurants to hair salons to roadside truck stops, Obama's picture was framed and hung on walls, stuck on entrance doors, and spray painted on building facades. On a blanket covering the cool worn pavement of a downtown Nairobi magazine stand, I counted 7 out of 20 magazine covers with Barak or Michelle's picture on them. One had a headline which read, "The New African Woman" with a picture of Michelle just underneath. And last but not least, not only were Kenyans and Tanzanians walking around town with bright t-shirts with the Obama family's picture on them, but I also spotted a few European and Australian tourists sporting the same shirts.

Building a Larger Frame

No matter how rosy a picture I have painted above, I realize that both Kenya and Tanzania have deeply entrenched problems. But before I mention these, I would like to suggest adding a few perhaps unlikely words to your sub-Saharan framing. Next time you think about Sub-Saharan Africa in addition to those negative words that spring to your mind think about these as well: colorful, friendly, jovial, sincere, family oriented, flexible, welcoming, service oriented, engaging, knowledgeable, multi-cultural, polyglot and successfully bridging modernity with tradition. And especially for Tanzania I want to shine a light on an adjective that we Americans could learn something from, peaceful.

Amazingly enough, almost 100%!o(MISSING)f the Tanzanians I spoke to never failed to mention that they were proud of their country for being peaceful. (Unfortunately, I don't know enough about Tanzanian history to verify this.) While their neighbors continue to have difficulties with tribal infighting, the Tanzanians believed that tribes were important for knowing one’s origins, but no reason to begin a conflict. "After all," they would say, "we are all Tanzanian." (Interestingly enough, Tanzania also has no shortage of natural resources, particularly water, which might be one reason this type of mentality has been able to survive. If you take a look at the graphic inside Jeffery Sachs new book, Common Wealth: Economics for a Crowded Planet, you will find an interesting map which seems to show a strong correlation between civil conflict and lack of rain fall.)

Religion Slaps Me in the Face

If you know any Arabic, one of the first things that you notice about Swahili is that there is a heavy Arabic influence. From saying good night, to come in, to even the word for morning the influence of Arabic keeps showing up. There are also plenty of men and women that dress in traditional Muslim fashions. So, the question quickly becomes, if Tanzania and Kenya are so obviously different from the Middle East, how about the relations between religions? Might Middle Eastern religious tension also have transferred into Eastern Africa? Well, the signals that I kept getting were surprisingly refreshing.

While the percentage of Muslims in Tanzania seemed to range anywhere from 30-40% and the Christians from 45-50%, there wasn't any visible tension between the populations. In fact, I met Muslims with Christian names and Christians with unmistakably Muslim names. Interfaith marriage seemed to be fairly normal and my safari driver was very open to talk about interfaith relations, but he also didn't seem to understand what was so amazing about Christians and Muslims living together and mixing their families. For him going to a mixed marriage ceremony was as normal as drinking a Kilimanjaro Beer after a long day's safari. In fact, the only religious tension in the land seemed to come from the Gulf. Local rumor has it that wealthy Arabs have been arriving in Tanzania and paying poor women to loose their colorful traditional dress and take up the full black dress of women in Saudi Arabia. Although there is perhaps nothing wrong with Saudi dress for Saudis, the thought did cross my mind that replacing the colorful Tanzania clothes with the black Saudi style seemed like a cultural shame. But isn't it also a shame that many more Tanzanians have stopped wearing their traditional dress for western style jeans and a t-shirt?

Mentality and Development

If any of you have ever had to stand in the middle of a busy street somewhere in the Middle East to argue for a fair priced taxi ride or had an aggressive tout follow you for 5 minutes through a busy souq, you know the feeling. And for those of you who haven't, trust me it's not a good one. Do these incidences destroy a whole trip to the region?...probably not. But can they leave you with a bad taste in your mouth?...sure. So, I was pleasantly surprised by the mentality of the folks working in the tourist business in Kenya and Tanzania. Instead of people offering safaris and then continuing to pester me long after I had originally said no, I was amazed to hear people say, "Ok, well welcome to Kenya!"...or..."Have a good day!" What? I couldn't believe my ears. Was that tout really just telling me to enjoy his country even though I had no intention of giving him money?

This was the case over and over again in both Kenya and Tanzania. There seemed to be a widespread understanding that the rapid growth of tourism during the last 10 years had brought many tourist dollars to the region and allowed families to educate their children and buy more nutritious food. To give you a very concrete example, Thomas, my Kilimanjaro guide, purchased both his house and his car with generous tips that he had received from trekkers who he led to the summit of Kilimanjaro. Both he, my safari guide, and numerous taxi drivers seemed to understand that in order to further develop their tourism industries, the tourists had to be treated well and come away with a smile. As one taxi driver told me, "When Europeans go back to Europe they talk to their friends. If they say good things that means more money for Kenya and more development." In other words, there seemed to be an understanding that you have to make investments today for the long term benefit.

Along with positive developments in the attitude toward tourists, there are also seemed to be some rather astonishing mental shifts happening within the populations. In Tanzania I kept hearing a pleasant refrain that basically went like this. "I want to educate my kids, but education is expensive. So, I will only have 2 or 3 children maximum and this way I can be sure that I can pay for their education. I am a high school drop out, but my son will go to college if I am lucky." And this would come from people who grew up in a family of 5, 7 or even 10 brothers and sisters. In one generation, I was surprised at this drastic shift in mentality. Sure, there are plenty of young Tanzanian families with 5 and 7 children, but with raising levels of urbanization, rising food and energy costs, increasing access to medical care and the plight of AIDS are all beginning to affect the actions of Tanzanians, there seems to be a massive shift towards smaller families and slowing population growth. If this is true region wide, this could be good news as the world's population begins to reach the planet's holding capacity over the coming half century.

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Comments

[Diego]

Kenya!!
Mike, amazing comments on culture and distinction between both. I am not trying to be critical, but to me it is clear that true happiness and cheerfulness shows in the people of Kenya in their culture with the garments and kindred spirit. Maybe this is why Brasil is so hospitable, because of African roots. I do not enjoy cold and uninviting cultures. Not to say that the middle east is as such, but in my opinion Africans truly wear their hearts on their sleeves. There is nothing for the weary and curious traveler to feel welcome and invited to partake in local customs. Although i havent commented much on previous blogs, this one truly touched me as I felt the same towards the Check... like a foreigner, I am glad that you can feel more at home in Africa. Stay safe, and enjoy the rets of the trip. It looks like I am graduating in may and will not be able to see you in T bird again. But I am sure you ll have much to share with the community after your travels. Sincerely, Diego. PS: Back in brazil... new years in Rio, will have some nice caipirinhas in your name.

[Maryann]

Asante
Glad you visited Kenya...The next time you visit i will be home!

[Dora]

Mike,I am simply AMAZED with the reflexions about your new friends and their culture...what a wonderful experience...I'd say they have a lot in common with Cristo Redentor:always with open arms...and that makes totally the difference doesn't it???!!!ENJOY!!! Dora

[Erika]

A blessing or a curse?
I'm glad you enjoyed your stay in Africa. We hear too little about the richness and beauty of that region. Your last paragraph on family size really caught my attention, and I would like to take issue with a couple of points you make. First is what I interpreted as a connection between family size in Africa with the planet's holding capacity/diminishing resources. Large families in Africa (and other regions) are not the problem. Extreme consumption in the West is the problem. I would be very interested to see how an average family of seven in Tanzania stacks up against an average family of three in the U.S. with regard to consumption of resources, waste generation, and carbon footprint. That said, I agree that it is important for a husband and wife to have access to family planning information, and to adequately provide for the children that they do have. I also understand that family size has a direct impact on the nutrition, education, and opportunities for children and for that reason reducing family size can be viewed as a good thing. But before we embrace a reduction in family size as good news, there are cultural and religious implications to declining family size that should be taken into consideration as well. I wonder if having large families, and the unique web of relationships that stems from that (and extends to the tribe, community, nation, etc.) is not an important part of the culture that so enriches the region. Then, there is the principle that many Christians, Muslims (and people of other faiths) subscribe to which is that children are a gift from God, a treasure, and a blessing. In that context, it is not the place for any of us to say how large another person's family should be (or how they should practice their faith)...it is between that wife, husband, and God. Thanks for keeping us posted!